Pouch and method utilizing pouch for cleaning garments

ABSTRACT

A method and pouch is provided for cleaning a soiled garment. The method includes preparing the garment by inserting only a portion into a protective care pouch. The pouch includes an open mesh fabric formed into an elongate structure with opposite first and second ends, the first end having an openable mouth and a fastening connector such as a drawstring for releasably joining the pouch to the garment. Further steps include attaching the pouch to the garment forming a joined article, immersing the joined article into a fluid cleaning media, removing and then uncoupling the joined article. The invention is particularly suited for cleaning a tzitzis or a tallis, which are religious garments having easily entangled fringes at each of four corners of the tunic-like articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a pouch and a method utilizing the pouch forcleaning soiled garments.

2. The Related Art

Damage, including entanglement, fraying and even tearing, can occur inthe laundering process. Mechanical rotation inherent in washing machinesand dry cleaning equipment is usually the immediate cause of theproblem. Yet even hand laundering admits to some damage.

Delicate fabrics, weaves, and elongated textiles are particularlysusceptible. Womens' hosiery has long suffered because of its delicatenature. Presently, there are available open-weave mesh hosiery bags intowhich nylon leggings and other delicate fabrics can be placed forprotection in the laundering process. Hanes Corporation sells such adevice in the form of a net-like bag with an opening controlled by adrawstring. The full particle is placed within the bag and the latter isplaced within a washing machine.

Other related art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,784 (Patik) disclosing agenerally rectangular bag of mesh material. An extension flap isfoldable over an opening at one end of the bag. Personal clothing isinserted within the bag, which is then vigorously agitated in a washingmachine.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,312 (Milstein) reports an improved laundry bagconstruction having a generally trapezoidal configuration. A flaputilizing a VELCRO closure device is employed to effect secure sealingof the bag.

All of the aforementioned protective bags operate by completelysurrounding the garment. Yet some types of clothing articles withcomplex construction have only a portion of the construction requiringprotective treatment. Placement of the full clothing article withinconfines of the bag would hinder the cleaning process. Contact with thewash media is inhibited by the bag as a barrier. Only delicate articlesof clothing or portions of articles are best subjected to protectivecare in the wash process.

Religious garments known as tzitzis (alternatively referred to as arbakanfos) and as tallis are garments worn by Orthodox Jews. On each of thefour corners of these garments, fringes consisting of eight strings areattachedly dangled. Agitation during the cleaning process causesindividual strands of the fringes to become entangled with adjacentones. Occasionally, the strands are even sheared-off when theyinadvertently attach to a stationary object in the rotating environment.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod for cleaning a soiled garment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method forcleaning a soiled garment by protecting only the loose portionsrequiring delicate care.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method forcleaning a soiled garment fitted with fringes, such as found in tzitzisor a tallis.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a pouchinto which only the delicate portions of a soiled garment are placed forprotective care during the cleaning process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method for cleaning a soiled garment is provided, the methodincluding:

-   -   (i) preparing the soiled garment for cleaning by inserting only        a portion into a protective care pouch, the pouch formed of an        open-mesh material of elongate structure with opposite first and        second ends, the first end having an openable mouth and a        fastening connector for releasably joining the pouch to the        garment;    -   (ii) attaching the pouch to the garment thereby forming a joined        article either before or after step (i);    -   (iii) immersing the joined article into a fluid media for        removing soil from the garment;    -   (iv) removing the joined article from the media; and    -   (v) uncoupling the joined article to separate the pouch from the        garment.

Additionally, there is provided a pouch for protective care of a soiledgarment employed during a cleaning process, the pouch including an openmesh woven or non-woven fabric formed into an elongate structure withopposite first and second ends, the first end having an openable mouthcircumscribed by a drawstring for restricting a diameter of the mouthand a slit at least partially traversing the pouch, orthogonallyoriented to the open mouth, the slit having opposite ends beingcloseable by a zipper framing the opposite edges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, advantages and objects of the present invention willbecome more readily apparent through consideration of the followingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a soiled pair of tzitzis having fringesawaiting insertion into a protective care pouch;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of FIG. 1 showing capture of the fringes withinthe pouch, now zippered closed;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pouch taken along lines 3-3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan perspective view similar to that of FIG. 1 exceptillustrating two pouches, each providing protective care for two sets offringes;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 except illustrating a secondembodiment wherein a side slit with zipper closure is absent; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5 furtherillustrating the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now it has been found that delicate garments subject to tangling,particularly religious garments, such as tzitzis, can be protected fromdamage by pouches and systems according to the present invention. A keyaspect is that only the vulnerable portions, the fringes along all fourcorners, are placed within a protective cage. Remaining portions of thegarment are allowed to freely contact a washing media outside theconfines of the pouch.

FIG. 1 illustrates a tzitzis 2 which includes a tunic 4 bounded by fourcorners 6 and a central neck opening 8. The tzizis is worn as a ponchotype of clothing with a person's head protruding through the neckopening and resting upon a wearer's shoulders.

An eyelet 10 is fashioned near each of the four corners. A set of fourstrings 12 collectively known as fringes 14 are threaded through theeyelet. Five knots 16 are tied spaced apart by windings 18 eventuallyleading to eight sections of string dangling at the end of the fringes.

A pouch 20 formed of a open weave mesh fabric is fashioned into anelongate structure. A first end 22 of the structure features an openablemouth 24 and on an opposite second end, the pouch is closed.

Along the openable mouth 24 is a guide passage 28. Drawstring 30 loopsthrough the guide passage allowing leading and trailing sections 32, 34to extend beyond either end of the guide passage.

Slit 36 traverses at least partially down the length of the pouch.Traversal may range from 10% to 100%, preferably from 25% to 75%,optimally about 50% down the length of the pouch. The slit is orientedorthogonal to open mouth 24. Closure of the slit is achieved through azipper 38 moveable from first to second end of the pouch.

Pouches of the present invention may be formed from a variety ofdifferent materials. These may be natural or synthetic fabrics.Construction may be woven or non-woven. Among suitable fibers aresynthetic ones including polyester, rayon, nylon, polyethylene,polypropylene, and combinations thereof. The most suitable natural fiberis cotton. Combinations of natural and synthetics are also possible,including polyester/cotton varieties. The pouches of this invention willbe of material With relatively open weave where the total aperture tototal fiber surface area may range anywhere from about 1:1000 to 10:1,preferably from about 1:100 to about 3:1, optimally from about 1:2 toabout 1:1 by area.

The method of cleaning the soiled garment according to the presentinvention may be practiced in the following manner. Pouch 20 is readiedfor use by moving the zipper 38 downward towards its starting positionleaving slit 36 to its widest possible extension. Mouth 24 also isopened to its widest extension. As shown in FIG. 1, all four sets offringes 14 are placed within cavity 40 of the pouch. An effort is madeto stretch each of the strings 12 to lie untangled, extended withincavity 40. Insertion of the fringes is accompanied by moving the pouchupward towards the tunic 4. Movement is completed when mouth 24encompasses at least a portion of knots 16, preferably encompassing allthe knots. Either the leading or trailing sections 32, 34 of thedrawstring 30 is threaded through eyelet 10. Attachment of the pouch tothe tunic is completed by tying a bow 42 uniting leading and trailingsections. Drawstring 30 during the tying process concurrently forces thediameter of the mouth to constrict around the fringes. FIGS. 2 and 3illustrate completion of the process with the pouch snugly surroundingthe fringes and tightly fastened to the tunic.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the pouch and method. Inthis embodiment, the zipper is removed. Control of the slit 36 isentirely remanded to the drawstring 30.

Instead of a single pouch, FIG. 4 illustrates the method using twoseparate pouches, each for protecting two sets of fringes. FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate completion of the method wherein the pouches each surroundthe fringes and are tied through the eyelets to the tunic.

Connectors other than drawstrings may be utilized for purposes of thisinvention. These connectors may be in the form of buttons, clips orVELCRO hook and thistle type mechanisms.

Soiled garments with their protective pouches attached can be cleaned ineither a wet washing or dry cleaning process. Wet washing involvesimmersion of the joined article (garment with pouch) into an aqueousfluid containing water and a detergent. Surfactants and builders arenormally found in the detergent as the cleaning agents. Washing mayoccur in a mechanical machine with a rotating drum or may be done byhand in a sink or basin.

Dry cleaning may involve immersion of the joined article into anon-aqueous solvent such as trichloroethylene, or in a moreenvironmentally friendly system such as supercritical carbon dioxide.

Once immersion and agitation within the media has occurred over asufficient time for cleaning, the joined article is removed from themedia. Pouch and garment are then separated by untying the bow or otherfastening device. By this method, the individual strings have beencleaned but also prevented from entanglement with one another, withother garments, or with machine parts utilized in the cleaning process.

Although the present invention has been described with particularityrelative to the foregoing detailed description of the preferredembodiments, various modifications, changes, additions and applicationsother than those specifically mentioned herein will be readily apparentto those having normal skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of this invention.

1. A method for cleaning a soiled garment comprising: (i) preparing thesoiled garment for cleaning by inserting only a portion into aprotective care pouch, the pouch formed of open-mesh material ofelongate structure with opposite first and second ends, the first endhaving an openable mouth and a fastening connector for releasablyjoining the pouch to the garment; (ii) attaching the pouch to thegarment thereby forming a joined article either before or after step(i); (iii) immersing the joined article into a fluid media for removingsoil from the garment; (iv) removing the joined article from the media;and (v) uncoupling the joined article to separate the pouch from thegarment.
 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the media is anaqueous solution comprising a surfactant.
 3. The method according toclaim 1 wherein the immersing step occurs in a washing machine.
 4. Themethod according to claim 1 wherein the media is a non-aqueous fluid. 5.The method according to claim 4 wherein the non-aqueous fluid isselected from the group consisting of trichloroethylene andsupercritical carbon dioxide.
 6. The method according to claim 1 whereinthe immersing step occurs in a dry cleaning machine.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the garment is a tzitzis or a tallis havingfour corners, each corner fitted with an eyelet through which areanchored a set of fringes twisted together at an upper end spacedlyfashioned with a series of knots.
 8. The method according to claim 1wherein the connector is selected from a group consisting of a string, aVELCRO hook and thistle pad, a button and a clip.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 1 wherein a drawstring is threaded through a guidepassage surrounding the mouth of the pouch and upon being tightened,restricts in size the mouth, the drawstring concurrently functioning asthe connector.
 10. The method according to claim 7 wherein a drawstringis threaded through a guide passage surrounding the mouth of the pouchand upon being tightened, restricts in size the mouth, and thedrawstring penetrating the eyelet thereby concurrently functioning asthe connector.
 11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pouchfurther comprises a closure traversing the elongate structure beginningfrom the first end to at least partially the second end.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 11 wherein the closure is a zipper.
 13. The methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the pouch further comprises a slittraversing along the elongate structure from the first end to at leastpartially the second end.
 14. A pouch for protective care of a soiledgarment employed during a cleaning process, the pouch comprising an openmesh woven or non-woven fabric formed into an elongate structure withopposite first and second ends, the first end having an openable mouthcircumscribed by a drawstring for restricting a diameter of the mouthand a slit at least partially traversing the pouch, orthogonallyoriented to the mouth, the slit having opposite edges being closeable bya zipper framing the opposite edges.